Synopisis:
When her tribe leaves the island, Karana is left behind. For years she survives on the island alone with nothing but the animals as company. Based loosely on the story of a real woman who survived on San Nicolas Island for eighteen years.
My thoughts:
This is a favorite from childhood (which is why I chose that cover rather than a later addition- I chuckled when I saw the $1.50 on the front). It’s rare to find a young adult book with such a strong female lead written in the 1970’s. When I reread it years later as an adult, I feared it wouldn’t hold up to my memory. But, the story is just as strong today as it was when it was written 50 years ago. I took a trip to California in 2019, and was thrilled to find out that one of our stops featured the grave of Juana Maria, the woman Karana’s character is named after.